Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

gnawing

American  
[naw-ing] / ˈnɔ ɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act of a person or thing that gnaws.

  2. Usually gnawings. persistent, dull pains; pangs.

    the gnawings of hunger.

Other Word Forms

  • gnawingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of gnawing

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; gnaw, -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Nothing prepared me for the gnawing unease of pivoting from saving to spending.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

Evidence includes a hominin femur marked by clear signs of gnawing.

From Science Daily • Feb. 7, 2026

For anyone in Caroline's situation, simply seeing a parent with a pram can be painful, the source of a gnawing envy.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

The road not taken is gnawing at her soul.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

They were so tough, it was like gnawing on a tree.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.